"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you beliaved?" Acts 19: 2
This time, I would like to ask to Christians.
Then, is the Holy Spirit dwelling(inhabiting) in you now?
Are you sure?
Now that the end of the world is near, I think it is very important for us to confirm the dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Because the Bible says that there are many people who mistake themselves for being believers. (Matthew 7:22 ~ Matthew 25: 1 ~ Revelation 3:14 ~ etc.) This is quite serious.
This time, we will consider the dwelling of the Holy Spirit (Bone Again).
1. A Christian is a person dwelt by the Holy Spirit
A true Christian is a person who, as a result of believing in the Gospel, harbors the Holy Spirit by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it can be said that we were born again as a child of God only after the dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
"You have received the spirit of God's child, not the spirit of enslaving man to fear again." Romans 8:15
"You too have heard and believed in the word of truth, the gospel that brings salvation, and have been stamped with the promised Holy Spirit in Christ. This Holy Spirit is for us to inherit the kingdom. It ’s a guarantee. ”Ephesus 1: 13-14
"As long as the spirit of God dwells in you, you are under the control of the spirit, not the flesh. Those who do not have the spirit of Christ do not belong to Christ." Rome 8: 9
The Holy Spirit is invisible but real, either dwelt or absent. However, the Bible says that many do not have it. (Matthew 7: 22 ~ Matthew 25: 1 ~ Revelation 3: 14 ~ etc.) I also realize it in many churches. In other words, many have not yet been born and become children of God.
2. What happens when you receive the Holy Spirit?
So what happens to people who say, "I received the Holy Spirit! It dwells in me!" It varies from person to person, but I often hear the following testimonies.
・Be confident ... I have the conviction and feeling that I have received the Holy Spirit!
・Interaction with God ... Communication begins in response to God. (Acts 10:19)
・Teachings ... The Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible much more than before. (John 14:26)
・Conflict begins ... Conscience awakens and conflict between the Holy Spirit and flesh begins (Roma 7:18)
・Seeking the truth ... Always seeking the truth (John 16: 3)
・Love of forgiveness ... Because I experienced God's forgiveness, I will be tolerant of my neighbors fault. I will not hate repentance (Luke 19: 8)
・Discernment begins ... Listen to the voices of God and true believers (John 10:27)
・The fruit of the Spirit begins to grow ... to something similar to Christ. I love God, I'm not able to continue sinning, and I am free from the law. I want to obey God, but I feel uncomfortable with things in this world (2 Cor. 3:18)
・Eyes change ... As a result of a renewed mind, the facial expressions and expressions of the eyes change.(Matthew 6: 22 ~ 23)
・Speaking in tongues, prophecies ... The gift of the Holy Spirit accompanies as a sign (Acts 10:46)
There are more.
However, in the absence of this phenomenon, the Holy Spirit may not be dwelt .
Why ?
3. Teachings that hinder the dwelling of the Holy Spirit
I think that the fact that you cannot receive the Holy Spirit is a great deception of Satan all over the world. As Jesus said, "Be careful not to be deceived by others" (Matthew 24: 4).
So what's the deception?
Unfortunately, I think the teachings in the church are big. In the dark ages, it was a bold deception that the indulgence and the Bible were banned, but in modern times, the Holy Spirit is not clearly denied, but there are teachings that somehow tries to shift from the Holy Spirit. For example ...
Teaching ① ... If you believe Jesus, Holy spirit must dwell in you , so you shouldn't ask for it.
It is a teaching that a person who has confessed his faith must receive the Holy Spirit. However, in the verse "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you belieaved?"(Act19:2) , they did not receive the Holy Spirit at begining. Many also testify that "I have received the Holy Spirit after 10 to 20 years of belief!" In other words, they weren’ｔborn -again until then. In the parable of the ten maidens, five did not have oil (the Holy Spirit).
Recognize the existence of five (oil-free) maidens and seek the Holy Spirit.
Teaching ②... Because it is what God does, do not ask for the Holy Spirit and wait for the time of God.
It's plausible, but it's a teaching that you don't have to ask, even though you admit that you haven't received the Holy Spirit. If you're a baby Christian within a year,it's acceptable. it's still a problem to teach that for years. In the Bible, the confession of faith and the new birth (Bone Again) occur almost all at once. What if you die in an accident or illness without being born-again?
Seek the Holy Spirit before it's too late.
Teaching ③ ... People who have experienced the healing and miracles of God live in the house.
This is a common pattern for charismatic Pentecostals. It is true that the Holy Spirit healed the mind and illness, but it did not lead to the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ also healed many, but only a few came to faith. Healing itself is prioritized, and even if you confess your faith, you will not be accompanied by true repentance or knowledge, and at worst, you will be guided by evil spirits.
Distinguish between the healing of the Holy Spirit and the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, and distinguish whether it is really the Holy Spirit.
Teaching ④ ... Who will be saved by committing the realm of God? Do not judge.
This is clearly a replacement for the problem. Of course, I don't know the truth until the final referee. But that's why! Shouldn't we point to the narrow path to salvation that is even a little right? And this is not a judgment. It is an act of trying to save the life of the other party, saying, "Are you on the path to widespread destruction without noticing it?" After all, it's late after death.
Teaching ⑤... I have never thought about it and I don't understand. I think it's okay.
No one in the church talks about the Holy Spirit and hasn't really thought about it. I want you to realize that you are not following the Bible, but being swept away by the church and the atmosphere.
See by yourself what the Bible says, rather than adapting to your surroundings.
Teaching ⑥.... There is no prayer for the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
No, there is. In the Bible, the basic step was for senior Christians to put their hands and pray to receive the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:15) Jesus Christ himself received the Holy Spirit in prayer after baptismal . Luke 3:21 says, "Seek! Then you will be given (the Holy Spirit)."
Let's pray for the Holy Spirit!
I think there are many other things, but it seems that these teachings cause me to be disappointed by thinking and praying about the Holy Spirit. It is the responsibility of the person to confirm salvation (the dwelling of the Holy Spirit). No excuses work.
So how do you get the Holy Spirit to dwell in?
4. How to receive the dwelling of the Holy Spirit?・ ・ ・ Basic 4 steps leading to be born-again
To "-Repentance of dead deeds, faith in God, teachings about various baptisms, rituals to put hands, etc.-" hev 6: 1-2
4 basic steps to be born-again
① Repentance
② Faith
③ Water baptism
④ Baptism with the Holy Spirit (prayer to put hands on)
First of all, I think it is necessary to confirm whether the four basic steps I learned are biblical. This is because there are considerable differences between churches and denominations. In other words, many churches make mistakes or ignore them somewhere in these four steps. Because of that, the Holy Spirit may not be received. For example, I did not receive the Holy Spirit because repentance was not biblical.
新生への基本の４ステップ - 聖書の知恵 (hatenablog.com)
This is a recommended site. Please take a look at Part 1 to Part 6
The Normal Christian Birth Part 1 - YouTube
Also, once the Holy Spirit is dwelt, it must be adhered to to heaven. I would like to summarize that point (Once Saved Always Saved?) In the near future.
Once Saved Always Saved? - YouTube
Finally, let's pray! Let's scream at the Lord!
"Do I have the Holy Spirit dwelt? If so, make me be confident!
If not , please tell me the reasons!
Are there any wrong teaching in me? I want to repent for it!
I Seek the Holy Spirit! Amen! "
Thankfully, the Bible promises to be clear when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Heavenly Father has done the work of salvation to give this Holy Spirit to us. Let's expect and continue to seek.
So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? Luke 11:13
